With more arrests expected in the flood control controversy, the Quezon City Jail in Payatas still has room for about 1,500 additional detainees, jail officials confirmed Tuesday, stressing that high-profile persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) will not receive preferential treatment.
The facility currently houses around 3,500 inmates but is rated for a capacity of 5,000 or more, Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) spokesperson Jail Supt. Jayrex Bustinera said in a television interview.
“It can accommodate 1,500 more,” Bustinera said, noting that the BJMP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) had already prepared for the possible influx of detainees linked to the flood control scandal.
He clarified that the Quezon City Jail remains a regular city jail, not one exclusively designated for those implicated in the controversy.
“It’s actually a city jail for Quezon City… and right now, additional na lang po yung mga high-profile cases na nadadagdag,” he added.
The statement followed the surrender of former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., one of the senior officials tagged in the alleged ghost flood control projects. Bustinera said Revilla would likely be detained at the male dormitory in Payatas but emphasized strict adherence to equal treatment.
“Wala pong special treatment,” he said, citing directives from DILG and BJMP leadership.
“Kaya po we are very open to the public na ipakita yung kulungan ng charged with the DPWH scandal para ipakita na ito na yung standard naman po talaga ng kulungan namin,” he added.
Justice officials earlier said courts and detention facilities were bracing for a surge in detainees as more cases are filed.
Despite concerns over congestion, the BJMP maintained that existing capacity and contingency measures would allow the Quezon City Jail to accommodate additional arrests while applying the same standards of detention to all PDLs.